We are requesting funds to purchase instruments that will be used to improve our undergraduate biomedical optics laboratory and curriculum. Our overall objective is to develop a two-semester undergraduate laboratory course in optics and lasers emphasizing their applications in medicine to better train undergraduate students at solving practical design and engineering problems in biomedical optics. In addition to classical optical teaching experiments, the laboratory courses will include representative design problems in medical optic and laser applications, with an emphasis on medical laser and light delivery systems and laser-tissue interactions. The laboratory courses will serve as a practical yet instructional introduction to optics, fiber optics, lasers and their application in the medical sciences. The courses are intended for sophomore or junior undergraduate biomedical engineering students. By providing this introductory practical experience, we will be able to improve the content of two existing classes on biomedical optics currently offered to advanced undergraduate students. We expect that this project will improve the achievements of our undergraduate students later involved in design projects in biomedical optics and also serve as a model for undergraduate programs in biomedical optics currently being developed at other universities nationwide. The results of the project so be used to develop additional undergraduate teaching materials and exercises in biomedical optics that may be others outside of our institution.
